What Does My Marriage Have in Common with Michael Jordan?

Question: What does my marriage have in common with Michael Jordan, Ryne Sandberg, David Beckham, The Lord is my shepherd, and a bad Jim Carrey movie (OK, that reference is a bit too vague)?  Answer: The number 23.

Today, The Wife and I celebrate our 23^rd wedding anniversary.  This week as she’s talked about our 23 years (and I’ve stared intently at her hoping not to detect signs of crushing disappointment) she’s mentioned that she doesn’t remember what it’s like to NOT be married.  I believe she meant that as a good thing.  I took it that way at least, and I have to agree.

There are some of you who will also know what we mean by that.  There has been so much living and so much sharing that your lives have become thoroughly intertwined (kind of like those tangled I-phone ear buds sitting on your night stand…but in a good way).  You likely don’t own anything of substance that you had before you were married.  And there isn’t anything about your life before you were married that you have any desire to go back to (OK, I’d like to get at least close to being as thin as I was when we were married).

To remember what life was 23 years ago, you’d have to remember having a cassette player in your car where you would have played the debut albums of DC Talk, Nirvana and The Wiggles (who would have thought that the only one of those three to still be around would be The Wiggles…God help us all).

You would have to remember the premier episodes of Seinfeld, Bay Watch and The Simpsons.  You would have been able to watch what should have been the last films in the Indiana Jones, Lethal Weapon and Back to the Future series (unfortunately, that was not the case).

You would have to remember what it was like to hear for the first time “You’ve got mail”.  You would also have to know what it means to be “a very good driver in the driveway”.

Twenty three years ago the national debt only circled the globe a time or two and you could get a gallon of gas for a little over a buck.  Twenty three years ago not only did twelve year olds not have cell phones, but nobody had cell phones.  Twenty three years ago you could wear a blue jean jacket and aviator sunglasses (at night).

Oh yeah, twenty three years ago you could buy a Twinkie.

A lot has changed over the last 23 years.  We’ve seen two sons born and one of them start college.  We’ve moved between seven and nine times, depending on how you count it.  We’ve had times that take your breath away and times when we just hold our breath as we pray to get through it.  Put it all together and there isn’t a relationship in the world that I would trade this one for and that will never change. I love you, honey.  And girl…you know it’s true.